Where can I find out more about Fast Forward, your two-year accelerated JD program?

What is the admissions process at the law school? How is each component of an application ranked?

We take a holistic approach to the admissions process. We read and review everything that is in an applicant’s file and no one component is more important than the other. We certainly want to make sure that the applicant is academically ready for the rigors of law school, so we take a very close look at their academic profile – their LSAT, GPA and curriculum. However, we’re also looking for students who will be active members of our community and give back to the institution through participation/leadership in our student organizations and, eventually, our alumni programs. Therefore, we also take the information shared in the applicant’s resume, letters of recommendation and personal statement into consideration.

There are also additional considerations for the Fast Forward, two-year JD program.

How long should students expect to wait to hear back on their applications after submission?

We use a “modified rolling admissions” process and usually begin receiving applications in October. However, the admissions committee does not usually begin the file review process until the end of our travel season in December. While some decisions may roll out earlier, most of our admissions decisions will be made when the bulk of the applications are received.

What kinds of students have you recently recruited?

Class of 2017 Profile (as of Dec. 11, 2014)

Class Size: 129

75% LSAT: 156

Median LSAT: 154

25% LSAT: 151

75% GPA: 3.49

Median GPA: 3.28

25% GPA: 3.05

Male: 50.4%

Female: 49.6%

Students of Color: 11.6%

Overall Student Body: 404

What are your most recent bar passage numbers?

Bar Passage Rates (February and July 2013)

First-Time Takers: 134

Takers: 111

Passers: 89

Pass Rate: 80.18%

State Pass Rate: 81.26%

Bar Passage Rates (February and July 2012)

First-Time Takers: 151

Takers: 115

Passers: 93

Pass Rate: 80.87%

State Pass Rate: 81.67%

What qualities do you look for in an “ideal” candidate?

We look for a well-rounded student. Our students have strong, but diverse, academic backgrounds that prepare them well for the rigors of law school. They also have immersed themselves in life outside the classroom. They were leaders in their respective undergraduate institutions and volunteers in their communities. Others come with a variety of work experience and advanced degrees. In essence, we are looking for students who are able to handle the academic challenges of law school, while becoming active members of our community.

Under what circumstances should an applicant write an addendum?

Students should write an addendum if they feel that there is information they need to share with the Admissions Committee that isn’t included in any other part of the application – such as a drop in GPA or an explanation for a low LSAT. The addendum should be no more than 1 or 2 paragraphs and should only state the facts.

How does the law school view multiple LSAT scores?

While we see the scores from all the exams the student sits for, as well as the average, we take the higher score when considering a student for admission.

Are there any “soft” factors that the law school views particularly favorably? (For example, Teach for America and the Peace Corps are often given as significant “soft” factors in admissions.)

We’re looking for a well-rounded candidate, so everything that a candidate shares about himself/herself is taken into consideration. We value leadership skills and community engagement as well as life experiences, so all those “soft” factors are very important to us. We want to see students doing things that they are passionate about.

Does the law school take into account the difficulty of undergraduate majors when making admissions decisions?

We take the entire academic profile into consideration, and that includes major and curriculum. The curriculum and the student’s choice of courses tells us more than just looking at the major. We want to make sure students are taking challenging courses that strengthen their critical thinking, analytical thinking and writing skills.

What is the waitlist process? Is there anything that students can do while on the waitlist to improve their chances of admission? Do letters of continued interest (or LOCI) help in this regard?

Students on our waitlist are truly viable candidates that we are ready to admit should space in the class open up. We do not rank our waitlist and all candidates are reviewed once again should we need to activate our waitlist. Students have the choice to accept our offer to remain on our waitlist, and only students who have indicated an interest in remaining on our waitlist will be considered. For the most part, students do not need to send anything in; they’ve already given us all the information we need. However, they are more than welcome to send a letter of interest or an update if something significant has changed in their file.

What measures does the law school take during admissions to ensure that the incoming class is diverse?

We are extremely committed to bringing a diverse student body. Our efforts begin in the recruitment cycle and carry into the application review period. We take a holistic approach to reviewing a candidate’s application and take all aspects of the file into consideration. While the LSAT and GPA are important, we also take a close look at a candidate’s letters of recommendation, resume and personal statement.

What is the average amount of debt students accumulate?

Although scholarship and loan amounts vary by student, the average amount borrowed in law school by 2011-2012 JD graduates who borrowed at least one educational loan was $98,820.

What percentage of students generally receives scholarships? How are scholarship recipients selected? Is there anything prospective students can do to increase their chances of receiving aid?

We are committed to helping students finance their legal education as best we can. We understand the rising costs of legal education and have been committed to providing academic scholarships to as many students that qualify. All students who apply are automatically reviewed for merit scholarships. Throughout our history, Drexel University has provided us tremendous support which has been instrumental in our achieving such rapid success. This support has included ample financial support, which permits us to make competitive scholarship offers to qualified students.

90.21% percent of our Class of 2016 received academic merit scholarships varying in amount from $5,000 to $40,230 per year.

Which students at Drexel can take advantage of the Drexel Alumni Scholarship program?

All Drexel University undergraduate alumni are eligible for the Drexel Alumni Scholarship. Drexel alumni who are admitted to and select to attend our law school are eligible for this scholarship, which provides them with a $1,000 grant for each year of full-time study.

Does it significantly help a student’s chances of admission to tailor his/her personal statement to the law school?

Since most law schools don’t have the staff to offer one-on-one interviews, applicants should treat their personal statement as if it is an “interview on paper.” It should tell the admissions committee something about the applicant that we can’t gather from the rest of the application. The applicant does not necessarily have to tailor it to us. However, if they are interested in a particular aspect of our our law school, they could highlight why that program interests them and how it can help them achieve their goals. In some cases, when students tailor their statement to a particular school, they end up telling us all about the school (which we already know) and nothing about them. If a student does tailor their personal statement to our school, or any other school for that matter, he/she should make sure to send the right statement to the right school.

Can you give any examples of mistakes that students make in their personal statements that severely hinder their chances of obtaining admission?

While we use the personal statement to learn more about the applicant, it is also another opportunity for us to gauge their writing skills. Therefore, personal statements that are submitted with numerous spelling and grammatical errors do not usually sit well with the committee. And if the applicant is trying to be school-specific, they need to make sure that they are sending it off to the right school. In addition, the personal statement should tell us something we don’t already know, so a reiteration of the applicant’s resume or an in-depth discussion about the programs at our law school will not help him/her at all.

Are there any personal statement topics that of which applicants should probably steer clear?

Applicants should use their personal statement to tell us more about their passions, motivations and goals and try to tie it into how law school can help them achieve these goals. We don’t usually limit the applicants to certain topics, but we do suggest being cautious about how they discuss or frame sensitive topics such as politics and religion, since they may not necessarily know exactly who their “audience” might be.

Approximately how many students transfer in/transfer out each year? Is there anything transferring students can do to increase their chance of acceptance?

We do receive a few transfer students each year. Transfer students can apply after completing one full year of law school at an ABA-accredited law school. We don’t have a large number of students transferring out, therefore, we only accept 5-10 transfer students each year. It is a competitive process and we take a holistic review in the application process. We are clearly interested in their most recent work at their current law school, but we require that they send us a copy of their LSDAS report and consider their previous academic work and their LSAT as well.